The 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament first round begins Thursday, March 20, with the women's tournament following similar timing over March 20-23.[1]
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who played one season for Iowa State in 2019-20 before entering the NBA draft, posted on X advising fans to "Make one bracket and stand on it."[2]
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the 24-year-old All-Star explained his view, saying people who enter multiple brackets are indecisive. "I think it’s just so lame that people are like, ‘Oh, I made this many brackets.’ Like, dang, how many brackets do you get?" Haliburton said. He partners with Reese’s on its March Madness Bracket Busting Campaign.
Haliburton, a member of the U.S. men's basketball team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics—the first Iowa State men's basketball player to earn Olympic gold—accepts some fans making one sentimental bracket for their alma mater and another realistic one.[3][4]
He picks Iowa State, his alma mater in the Big 12 Conference, to win the national championship. "We play in the best conference in basketball, which is the Big 12," Haliburton said. "When it comes to playing on neutral floors, we have been unbelievable."[5]
Reese’s campaign encourages fans to share busted brackets on social media using #ForAReesesSweeps for chances to win free products and tickets to the Final Four or championship games.
Haliburton joined New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart and analysts Richard Jefferson and Andraya Carter for a Bracket Summit to share picks. He expressed excitement about the Reese’s partnership: "Two of my favorite things coming together."
Sources
- NCAA. "2025 NCAA tournament schedule announced." March 17, 2025. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-03-17/2025-ncaa-march-madness-schedule-mens-tournament
- Iowa State University Athletics. "Tyrese Haliburton bio." Accessed March 2025. https://cyclones.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tyrese-haliburton/6516
- USA Basketball. "Tyrese Haliburton player profile." 2024. https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/mens/tyrese-haliburton
- Olympics.com. "Tyrese Haliburton." Accessed March 2025. https://olympics.com/en/athletes/tyrese-haliburton
- Big 12 Conference. "Iowa State Cyclones." Accessed March 2025. https://big12sports.com/sports/mbball/team/iast
